As many of my friends know, I’ve dabbled in vegetarianism for the better part of three years. But cutting meat out of a diet is tricky — some days, you just crave a juicy steak or BBQ chicken, or even a cheeseburger from Mickey D’s (you know which days I’m talking about).
That’s why I was super excited to find DeliVege, a healthy vegetarian restaurant close to my neighborhood. Located at the edge of Chinatown, DeliVege is not your standard vegetarian restaurant — they not only serve greens, they create delicious mock meat dishes, do not cook with MSG, and endorse a strong pro-veggie agenda.
DeliVege to the rescue
The decor pushes the agenda so you have something to think about while you’re eating. One wall is a collage of names of celebrity vegetarians. Another is splashed with reasons to not eat animals, some of which are pretty guilt-inducing. There’s even a comparison of slaughterhouses to Auschwitz.
"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian"
As for the menu, it is peppered with quotes from famous vegetarians, and arguments for not consuming meat. Each dish is purposely mispelled, as if it knows it is not real meat, and is not even attempting to be: steak is referred to as “ste-k”, chicken is “chiken”, and seafood is “C-food”. They have creative mock meat dishes for Western, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine — including even shark’s fin soup and Japanese bento boxes.
A menu with a lot to digest
We ordered the “black pepper ste-k” and “DFC” (a play on KFC). The ste-k, while delicious, was pretty obviously veggie. However, the DFC was juicy, hearty, and really tasted like a chunk of fried chicken.
DFC - highly recommended
The prices are reasonable — around S$10 for entrees — and there are not only Western options, but Chinese and Japanese fare as well. In fact, Mike and I enjoyed it so much, we went back the next night to explore even more of the menu.
While I don’t think DeliVege will fully convince carnivores to change diet, the pro-veg arguments are a worthy effort, and it’s a great place to enjoy meat alternatives (and a chance to eat healthier) in Singapore.
DeliVege
200 South Bridge Road
Closest MRT: Chinatown
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